REST and PEACE.....

A friend said this looked like a broken bridge or boat with all this glorious life coming out....I loved what she saw....and I think it says there is Hope, even when broken! It is oil pastel, charcoal, scripture collage on dark grey pastel paper....a first for me. This doll piece was a "pulled" piece by mushing on paints and seeing what might be there....and this is what I saw.....again oil pastels on acrylic...with crumpled tissue paper for matted look border. Enough snow in Ohio for a snowman on the hood of our Texas car! thanks Scott! Our son and his daughter with cousins in Ohio enjoying the snow on Thanksgiving Day! Our daughter and son getting to visit....sorry I'm prejudice...my two children...wonderful kids to this day!! Thanks Dad. A "Congratulations" card from girl cousin to boy cousin who was a "party boy in the Nutcracker" ballet in Ohio....he played his part well! And flowers for our ballerina grand-daughter who had three parts in the Nutcracker Ballet in Ohio at the Midland Theatre!...It was a special night!! Bravo!!! She is beautiful with a beautiful heart like her Mom! Our grand-daughter's personal Christmas tree.....she is into decorating like her beautiful Mom! See the "Clara" Nutcracker ornament her cousins gave her? The Texas cousin enjoying the snow... Our baby girl of the family in Ohio....saying cheese! Opening my birthday presents from the kids and look at that awesome cake they decorated and made!! We all got to stick our finger in the yummy chocolate icing!....without Mom seeing! My awesome daughter in law made a video and photos she put on "Smile" as a special momento for me....thank you !! And do you see my precious grandson waiting to give me "his" present?....he built me this big Lego Sculpture!....just for Mimi! I loved it! A good throw by a great grandson with snowballs in Ohio.... Snow balls going everywhere that day.....on Thanksgiving in Ohio! See that pretty freshly painted Deck, that Daddy did? Thanks for a great time kids and parents!! And that carved and cooked turkey and all the goodies!! And below, a rare opportunity for us all to be together with all the grandbabies....what a blessing! Thanks to our Ohio Family for hosting Thanksgiving Day!....and now Merry Christmas!! Two words come to me today..... REST....and ....PEACE. I think they come to me because I am resting from the long and hard work of accomplishing six pieces of art work for the 2010 season of a Company I can mention at a later date .... a small job....but BIG for me. I hardly slept for weeks, working through the night and sleeping for five hours in the day! It was some of the most glorious days I've had in years of Art Making.....just pouring myself into it, not wanting to stop and having the "legitimate" excuse of it being a "real" paying job for someone with a deadline...... and my family understood that! Usually Art Making takes a back seat ... letting everything else....take precedence. I recently had a serious talk with the Lord about what He wanted me to do....mostly with my ART, since people don't come by the little gallery much anymore.... very slow business wise here.... anyway, it was CLEARLY felt in my heart as a result of prayer that I was to proceed...."Get MY (the Lord's) WORD UP AND OUT THERE".....that was the message I have felt so strongly since that conversation with Him in September-ish. Then in October the "JOB" came....and what did they want?....My art ...in "their style and product" with what?....GOD'S WORD ON IT....YES!....GOD'S WORD! After my conversation and prayer with the Lord and before this job came....I was thinking....well okay, I'll just paint as much art as I can with the "Word" on it and "cover" all the walls in the gallery.....thinking that was the biggest thing I could do.....and that the Lord would bring the people......how else COULD I do it? We are so limited in our minds and sometimes our faith too..... because what "HIT" me after the Company hired me to paint their pieces of art with God's Word on it.....that the Art would go all over the WORLD..!!! EVEN to China....!! His Word would be seen by workers in the process of reproducing what six pieces I did....having to paint it over and over.....those who would pack it would see His Words....those who shopped and did or didn't buy it would SEE HIS WORDS! WOW, when the Lord wants you to do something....His IDEAS surpass what we could even think or dream of!!! So I know I can REST in His love and care.... The next word that is in my head today is..... PEACE.....it is an incredible "peace" that I have inside my head and heart....that He truly is in control.....that He is truly ALIVE and WORKING in our lives....especially when we hand our life over to Him to occupy our hearts and trust Him with it.....so today I am RESTING in PEACE with my life in "His" hands....... and it feels so wonderful..... even though I'm tired and my bad feet still won't let me walk as much as I want.....yet! His works are wondrous and I marvel at Him! I can't share the work I did yet until it is out for the Company.....but I will share some recent fun pieces done in my Online Gut Art Class and photos of our trip to Ohio to see Kellie (our daughter) and Family with Scott (our son) and his Family going with us....a great drive and time with those I hold so very dear....my gifts from the Lord! I have to say, I missed my "precious church" and extended families and my sort of adopted children here too! BLESSINGS for a meaningful Christmas to you all.... sherry...and (dick)! Rest and Peace to You All.....